(CNN) - President Barack Obama is closely matched in hypothetical head-to-heads with 2012 Republican presidential candidates, according to a poll released Monday.

The Gallup survey showed Obama within the sampling error among registered voters when pitted against Mitt Romney, Rick Perry, Ron Paul and Michele Bachmann.
Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney led the president 48 percent to 46 percent while Obama was tied with Texas Gov. Rick Perry at 47 percent. The president led Rep. Ron Paul of Texas by two percentage points with 47 percent and Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota with four percentage points at 48 percent.

The new figures are similar to those from a recent CNN/ORC International Poll released earlier in August, which showed Obama ahead of Perry by five percentage points, Bachmann by six percentage points and Romney by one percentage point.

Gallup surveyed 879 registered voters by phone August 17 through August 18 with a sampling error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.

soundoff(335 Responses)

if not for california and the north east obama would not have 15% approval

August 23, 2011 05:11 pm at 5:11 pm |

Expertia

Come November 2012, Obama will be history.

August 23, 2011 05:15 pm at 5:15 pm |

Jon S.

Which only proves that there is a sizable percentage of the U.S. populations that is either a) extremely stupid or b) likes a good joke every now and then. Unfortunately, I think the answer is a. And the world laughs.

August 23, 2011 05:21 pm at 5:21 pm |

BinFL

I would like to know why so many of you hate our President as he has in reality moved further to the right than most Progressives would prefer. So what it is exactly? Wouldn't be his color would it??

August 23, 2011 05:29 pm at 5:29 pm |

Malory Archer

gt wrote: if not for california and the north east obama would not have 15% approval.

If it weren't for the rest of the nation, the rethugliban congress would be in negative territory approval.

August 23, 2011 05:35 pm at 5:35 pm |

The Other Michael in Houston

You morons keep looking at the midterm elections as a precursor to 2012. First off, for some reason, Americans do not put enough weight in elections when it's just Senators, House members and local government postitions up for grabs as they do when it is a Presidential election, we know that for a fact. So of course the Tea nuts rallied and got some of their nut jobs into office, because no one really gave a crap about the 2010 election cycle, and I hope this is a lesson for all that the midterm elections are just as important. So this silly notion that all the democrats are going to lose their seats including the President is nonsense, the same thing that happened in 2008 will happen in 2012, people will flock to the polls to vote for President Obama as they did in 2008 and since most people are lazy and straight ticket vote, all the house and the senate will be majority democrat, again. What you Tea people, Anit President Obama types, do not understand is we decided in 2008 that we did not want to go back to 2000-2008, we wanted something different and although President Obama has not fully lived up to the promise of change, he has put us in the right direction and that is why 80 million plus will show up again to re-elect him. There is not one Republican Candidate that is offering anything different than what we got between 2000-and 2008, the only 2 candidates that are offering anything of substance is Paul and Huntsman but you moron Republican Jihadist are too stupid and fixated on radicalism that you will not give either a chance, Bachmann, she will get 25%, Perry 25% Palin (if she runs) 15%, Romney maybe 30-35%, Huntsman could be as much as 45% and Paul the same so go ahead and nominate your crazies and get ready to get you butts handed to you...............again

August 23, 2011 05:35 pm at 5:35 pm |

Malory Archer

Additionally, even if the President's approval WERE 15%, it would still be 2 percentage points higher than the rethugliban congress.

August 23, 2011 05:36 pm at 5:36 pm |

Little Tin God

I'm sure that Romney, Perry, Paul and Bachmann will manage to shoot themselves in their respective feet many times over before November, 2012. Besides, if one of the GOP contenders were to be actually elected POTUS, they won't even get to take office since the world is supposed to end on 12-20-12. Or maybe if one of the GOP contenders were actually elected POTUS, that would cause the world to end on 1-20-13.

August 23, 2011 05:42 pm at 5:42 pm |

Light In The Black

The only chance the GOP has of taking back the white house
is to dig up Reagan, and prop him up in the oval office.
This country (democrat or Republican) was mostly center (left or right....but center) fiscally.
Republicans ran right about social issues
and Democrats ran left on social issues.
The Republicans (thanks to the Tea Party) have run so far right, that they have lost the rest of the country.
Keep screaming about fiscal responsibility and smaller government
and keep poking your nose in peoples bedrooms.
Republicans are branded.
For instance, its like being a Raiders fan.
No matter how bad the team is managed, at the start of every season they always think
they are going to the super bowl.
Keep doing the same bad things over and over, and expect different results.

People who say Obama is bad, dissapointing, not doing a great job,
I thank God this man was in office to stop the bleeding,
all you critics have NO idea just how bad this mess was, and how much worse
it would have been if we had a republican in office to continue the same.
If you remember correctly, McCain was going to continue the Bush mess, NO CHANGES.

Go ahead and stick to your brand, and continue to sell out the middle class of America.
I think most people on both sides are smarter, it may not be a landslide
but Obama will be re-elected,
taking a chance on any of these right wing religious nuts is asking for complete disaster.
Except for Ron Paul, it seems that the Koch Brothers are throwing everything they can
at the wall to see if something sticks.
They are trying to buy the white house, but so far,
everything has slid down into a pile of muck on the floor.
Dont bother with "pray away the gay"
If you are religious, "pray away stupidity"
What would Jesus do ?

August 23, 2011 05:47 pm at 5:47 pm |

Normal Person

It is amazing how angry the people on the left are in these posts. We all live in the same country so can you try to be a little more civil. It seems as though the left can't argue facts so they tend to use vicious attack, vile language, and idiotic comments. Grow up please.